Registered Nurse to Baccalaureate in Nursing Program Requirements

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Sheryl Steadman, Dean 
Juanita Takeno, Program Director

To help you maximize your time at both institutions, Westminster provides transfer pathways for you to utilize each semester. Used properly, these pathways will prevent you from taking unnecessary coursework or from missing prerequisites needed for other courses. While every student’s academic journey may look different, the pathways will help provide a general idea of what to expect. Please refer to them as you go about registering for courses and be sure to consult advisors from both institutions to help in making the proper decisions.

Fortis AS in Nursing to Westminster University RN to BS Pathway

SLCC Health Science AS with Nursing AAS to Westminster University RN to BS Pathway

Philosophy Statement

The faculty at Westminster University’s School of Nursing provide additional learning opportunities for individuals engaged in the art and science of nursing. We are committed to excellence in teaching through the creation of an active learning environment that promotes inclusiveness, respect for diversity, and community engagement. We feel a deep sense of responsibility to further develop their knowledge and abilities as nurse leaders in a variety of settings.

Mission

The primary goal of the RN-to-BS in Nursing Program is to prepare professional nurse generalists whose liberal arts and professional education enables them to meet the health care needs of society and to continue life-long personal and professional development. The program allows associate degree-prepared RNs to complete their Bachelor degree. In addition, the curriculum prepares students with the abilities and knowledge to move into leadership positions in the health care industry, to prepare for advanced (graduate) education, and develop the knowledge base necessary to ensure safe, quality, patient centered care across all settings including community and public health. To this end, the program offers a major in nursing leading to a Bachelor of Science degree.

The nursing curriculum is designed with the premise that to be excellent practitioners, students must be able to think critically, communicate effectively, understand their own values, and be sensitive to the values of others. In addition, they must have a thorough understanding of the theoretical, empirical, and practical knowledge related to the profession of nursing. Particular to the registered nurse student returning to school, the Bachelor of Science in Nursing completion program will emphasize knowledge, skills and attitudes related to the following: leadership in the workplace and community, teaching, mentoring, and communication skills, critical decision-making skills, and evaluating research and evidence for the development and implementation of practice guidelines.

Program Goal and Outcomes

The program goal is to prepare professional nurses who are competent, caring, ethical, critical thinkers, scholarly, and effective communicators. The RN-to-BS in Nursing Program is structured so that graduates of the program will be able to:

  1. Provide professional nursing care based on knowledge derived from theory and research.
  2. Synthesize the theoretical and empirical knowledge from nursing, life, physical and social sciences, and the arts and humanities in the domains of professional nursing practice.
  3. Apply the nursing process to provide nursing care for individuals, families, groups, and communities in a variety of health care settings.
  4. Accept responsibility and accountability for the effectiveness of their own nursing practice.
  5. Influence the quality of nursing and health care within practice settings through the use of leadership skills, management concepts, and knowledge of the political system.
  6. Evaluate research to determine the applicability of research findings in the domains of professional nursing practice.
  7. Collaborate with other health care providers and members of the general public in promoting the health and well-being of people throughout the life cycle.
  8. Incorporate professional values with the ethical, moral, and legal aspects in the domains of professional nursing practice.
  9. Recognize the health needs of today’s society and function in a changing health care delivery system.
  10. Apply critical thinking skills in the personal and professional transitional situations.

Program Requirements

Students must meet the university-wide graduation requirements in addition to the Registered Nursing to Baccalaureate in Nursing Program major:

  • 124 total hours
  • 30 upper division hours
  • WCore or Honors College requirements
  • Minimum of 36 hours from Westminster University

Admission and Prerequisite Support Course Requirements

Applications will be reviewed after the nursing student submits to the School of Nursing and Health Sciences a completed application form, and copies of transcripts from all schools attended.

Applicants do not need to complete additional liberal education courses if they have an AA or AS from a regionally accredited or international college or university. We do accept transfer credits from specific nationally accredited schools; please refer to the “Criteria for the Acceptance of Transfer Credit” for information regarding nationally accredited colleges or universities. This is also applicable to applicants without an AA or AS degree but with a minimum of 72 or more credit hours and a Letter of General Education Completion. Applicants who have earned an AAS degree will need to review previous coursework with the Program Coordinator to identify Liberal Education courses, electives, and hours that need to be completed prior to acceptance.

Application to the Nursing Program

  • Please contact the Admissions office to speak with a counselor.
  • A minimum cumulative and prerequisite grade point average of 2.8 and a grade or C or higher in all prerequisite courses.
  • Official transcripts from all colleges attended including an ACEN (NLNAC) or CCNE accredited school of nursing documenting diploma or degree with a major in nursing.
  • An unrestricted Utah RN license in good standing.

*Students in the program may be required to obtain additional background checks and/or drug screens during the program.

Additional Requirements Upon Acceptance

1. Upon acceptance, students will present:

  • Proof of certified background checks. Applicants can use copies from their board exam. (This cannot be used unless the student kept copies. If the results went directly to the DOPL, they will have to do a new background check. The certified background check check must be free of criminal arrest history. If there is a criminal arrest history, arrests must be expunged prior to progress in the program.
  • Students will be required to provide 10 panel drug test results from an approved laboratory (Salt Lake WorkMed and Murray WorkMed are acceptable labs in Utah). Drug test results must be negative. Copies from employment within the last six months are acceptable.
  • Current immunizations, including Hepatitis B, TDAP, MMR, Varicella, and Influenza; and a negative TB test or its equivalent (must be kept current throughout the program).
  • Current CPR certification (must be kept current throughout the program).
  • Students will be responsible for providing updated health information throughout the course of the program.
  • Utah license (must be kept current throughout the program).
  • Malpractice insurance which will be added to the students' tuition.
  • Proof of health insurance.

2. Students will be required to attend orientations and seminars that will be announced in advance.

3. Students will also need to access technology appropriate to the on-line delivery methods of the program.

4. Students need to be aware that they are required to achieve a grade of C or higher in nursing coursework in both theoretical and clinical components of each nursing course.

5. Students are required to complete Health and Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and OSHA trainings prior to clinical placement and adhere to guidelines in these trainings.

Progression in the Program

The student must:

  1. Maintain a minimum university grade point average of 2.0.
  2. Receive a grade of C or higher in all nursing courses. Students will be permitted to repeat a failed course one time. Students who fail more than two courses will be dismissed from the program.

Course Probation and Program Dismissal Policy

A student may receive a clinical/classroom warning of probationary status at any time during a clinical or classroom experience if the faculty determines that the student’s performance is unsatisfactory. The written warning will outline what the student must do to meet the course requirements. Students who have been placed on course probation will be formally evaluated at the end of that course. Any probationary status will be documented in the student record. A student will be dismissed from the nursing program for any of the following reasons:

  1. Violations of the academic honesty policy.
  2. Violation of the American Nurses Association “Code for Nurses” guidelines for ethical practice, or the National Student Nurses’ Association “Code of Academic and Clinical Conduct.”
  3. Failure to maintain a grade point average (GPA) appropriate to the program.
  4. A documented pattern of unprofessional behavior in the classroom or clinical setting.
  5. Unsafe practice in the clinical area.
  6. A grade of C- or below in a second nursing course or a repeated nursing course during the entire program.
  7. Failure to notify the School of Nursing and Health Sciences of changes in a criminal arrest history.

Students dismissed from the nursing program related to clinical/classroom deficiencies must petition the director for readmission if they wish to reenter the program. Matters of personal concern to the student will be considered at this time. The director will make a recommendation to the dean of the School of Nursing and Health Sciences regarding readmission to the nursing program.

Students have the right to appeal decisions of academic evaluation or dismissal from the program through the Academic Grievance Process of the School of Nursing and Health Sciences. The procedure for appeal is outlined in the RN-to-BS Student Handbook.

Credit for Prior Learning

Students will be awarded 8 hours of credit for having satisfactorily completed the NCLEX exam for licensure.

Nursing Major (RNBS)

Requirement Description Credit Hours Prerequisites
Part 1 Corequisites 19  
BIOL 111 Clinical Microbiology and Lab 4  
CHEM 105 Introductory Chemistry for Nursing  4 MATH 101 or higher
NURS 210

Nutrition

Students may show competency by passing a qualifying exam with a minimum of 75%
3 BIOL 103, 104 and CHEM 105
World Language   4  
Complete one of the following courses:      
SOC 105 The Sociological Imagination 4  
SOC 253 Sociology of the Family 4  
Part 2 Required Nursing Courses 30  
NURS 325 Environmental Health: Nursing Perspective 4  
NURS 380 Dimensions of Nursing 3  
NURS 385 Teaching, Mentoring, and Health Promotion 4 NURS 325, 380, 391, or 470
NURS 391 Nursing Theory and Research 4  
NURS 410 Nursing Leadership Capstone RN to BS  6 corequisite: NURS 470
NURS 450 Older Adults in the Community 4 NURS 325, 380, 391, or 470
NURS 470 Culture, Health, and Illness 5  
Total Hours for the Nursing Major (RNBS) 49  

Recommended Plan of Study